Metal chair



Jn., 29 49 L l NASH ZGQZ? METAL CHAIR Filed Aug. 45 1945 F162. FIG. i.

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INVENTOR: JOHN J. NASH wwwa@- ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 25, 1949 OFFICE METAL CHAIR Mo., `assigner to American John J. Nash, St. Louis,

Fixture & Manufactu ring Co.,

corporation of Missouri Application August 3, 1945, Serial No. 608,643

4 Claims.

This invention relates in and, more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements, in metal chairs, that is to say, chairs Vof the so-called modern type having a frame formed of metal tubing.

As is well recognized in the furniture industry, shipping of nished furniture from the factory to the place of retail sale entails considerable expense and diiculty. Furniture is relatively bulky and heretofore it has been necessary to separately crate and pack each unit. To some limited degree, furniture has been applies to tables and similar pieces. Chairs, vregardless of the material of construction, are usually boxed or wrapped separately, one or two to a package, and shipped in that manner. Such procedure, of course, is very costly and comparatively slow.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a unique type of tubular frame chair with seat and back members capable of being shipped in knock-down form and being adapted for simple, quick, convenient and permanent assembly after shipment.

`Itis` also an object of the present invention to provide a chair of the type stated which is uniquely so constructed that a plurality of such chairs may be nested in knock-down form in a relatively compact, economical manner within a single container or package.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a tubular frame chair which may be shipped in knock-down form and when assembled cannot be again disassembled, so that the chair, once it has been assembled for sale, becomes a permanent set-up article of furniture which will not again come apart during even the most rigorous usage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tubular frame chair utilizing the inherent resiliency of the tubular frame so that the back and seat members are uniquely joined or secured to and upon the frame with the complete elimination of exposed screws or other similar attachment members. And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features ofl form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed outV in the claims.

.- In the accompanying drawing (one sheet)- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a furniturechair constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention; y v Y general to furniture St. Louis, Mo., a

( Cl.y -194) Figure 2 is a similar view of the frame of the chair, the seat and back members being removed and omitted;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rear face of the back-forming piece or member of the chair;

rFigure 4 is a similar view of the under face of the seat-forming piece or member of the chair;

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view illustrating fragmentally one of the back-supporting sections or bars of the frame; and

Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged cross-sectional views of the chair taken on lines 6 6, 1 1 of Figure 1. 4

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates tubing manipulated and fabricated or bent to integrally include base-forming members I, 2, 2 approximately of U-shape, parallel uprights, 3, 3', seat-supporting sections or bars 4, 4', normally disposed in spaced parallel relation and in vertical registration with the underlying base-forming members 2, 2'; and rear parallel back-supporting sections or bars 5, 5', all as best seen in Figure 2.

For purposes presently appearing, the seat-section or bar 4 is formed or provided longitudinally with a series of suitably spaced bayonet or keyhole-shaped slots 6, each slot 6 having its tail or reduced portion presented outwardly and the bar d' is similarly provided with a registering series of bayonet or keyhole-shaped slots 6', each slot 6 having its tail or reduced portion presented outwardly. The back-section bars 5, 5', are likewise formed or provided longitudinally with reg'- istering series of suitably spaced bayonet or keyhole-shapedslots '1,' 1', each having its tail or reduced portion presented inwardly.

B designates the back-forming piece or member of the chair, which may be constructed of rany suitable rigid material, and is provided on its rear face with series of suitably headed studs 8, 8 spaced and located for co-operative engagementv with the slots 1, 'l' of the frame back-sections or bars 5, 5,. It should be noted that the transverse spacing of the studs 8 on the back B is normally the same as the transverse spacing of the inwardly presented opposed reduced portions of the bayonet-slots 7, 'l'.

C designates the seat-forming member of the chair, whichiikewise may be constructed of any suitable rigid material,l which preferably out-1 wardlyfharmonizes inV appearance with the back B, and is provided upon its under face with series of suitably headed studs 9, 9', spaced and located for co-operative engagement with the slots 6 of, the frame seat-sections or bars 4. Similarly, it should be noted that the transverse spacing of the studs `9, 9' on the seat C is normally the same as the transverse spacing of the outwardly presented opposed reduced portions of the bayonetslots 6.

So constructed, the seat-member C is disposed ilatwise upon the seat-bars d, 4. and taking advantage of of the bent tubing frame 4, 4 are sufiiciently and wardly or away from each-other for insertion vof the heads of the studs 9, 9', into and through the heads or larger portions ofthe slots 6, 6,. On release of spreading pull, the seat-bars 4, 4', yieldingly Vreturn to normal position `during which movement the studs 9, Si', at their shanks move or shift into the tails or reduced portions of the slots 6, 6', when the studs 9, e', co-operate and engage freely with the seatbars 4, 4 inY securing the seat C rmly and rigidly' upon the frame A.

i Similarly, the backmember B is disposed approximately flatwise upon the back-sections 5, Then, again utilizing and taking advantage of the inherent resiliency of the bent tubing frame A, the frame back-bars 5, 5 are suiiiciently sprung inwardlyor together for insertion of the heads of the studs il, t. into and through the heads or larger portions of the respective slots 1, 'I'. On release oi pressure, the back-bars 5, 5' yieldingly return K to normal position, during which movement the studs Si move 4or shift intothe tails or reduced portions or the respective slots 1, "i" when, likewise, the studsl 8', 8' cooperatively engage freely with the back-bars 5,

the inherent resiliency A, the frame seat-bars Then, utilizing opposltelv sprung out-f Y their respective under 5' in securing the back B firmly and rigidly upon the frame A.

Thus, simply, conveniently, -acilely, economically, and with 1a total elimination of visible screws and oth-er such extraneous members and operations, the frame A, back B, and seat C are joined inthe formation of the finished chair illustrated in Figure l.

It has been vfound in connection with the present invention that a plurality of frames A as shown in Figure 2` may be nested within each other and. a suitable number of seats B and backs C may berinserted in the spaces between the nested frames, so that the component parts for ayrelatively'large number of chairs may be compactly enclosed withina single boX or package unit. When the package arrives at its destination, the retailer, furniture dealer, or user can readily assemble the chair in the manner' just above described, provided that the-seat Bis installed rst and the chair then completed by iinal installation. ci the back member. C. The chair'niay be assembled quickly and conveniently without the use of toolsor vcomplicated equipment, and, in fact, the operation is so simple that no elaborate instructions are needed..

It should be also noted in this connection that the-'chair is unique in one other respect. It cannot be assembled erroneously, no matter how unskilled the person may be who is Vrequired to do the assembling operation. TheV only mistake which can possibly be made is to install the back C before installing the seat B. In such case, however, the mistake is quickly detected because it `is impossible-to' install the seat B, and when'the back C- alone -is` installed, 4it does not :become y locked in place.

Y ment and combination of latter `fbeing' provided `their respective under Consequently, if through error the back C should happen to be installed rst, the error will immediately become apparent and can be very readily rectified.

And it is to be understood that changes and modications in the Vform, construction, arrangethe several parts of the chair may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Y vHaving thus described my invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An article of furniture or the like comprising afi-ame and rigid seat and back-members, the with projecting studs on and back faces, said studs being spaced along either side thereof and the frame being constructed of metallic tubing comprising a U-shaped member terminating in two parallelV forwardly extending ground-engaging members bent upwardly at the `iront to form front legs, then bent rearwardly to include an intermediate yieldingly related pair of seat-bars and then bent upwardly to form a yieldingly relatedpair of back-bars,fboth seat-bars and backbars being provided with keyhole-shaped slots, the longitudinal axes 4of whicnextend transversely ci the chair seat, the slots of the seat-bars being oppositely disposed to the slots of the backbars and said bars at said slots being springwise engaged withthe studs of the seat and back-members for securing the seat and back-members to and upon the frame. v Y

2. An article of 'furniture or the like comprising a frame and rigid seat and bac i-members, the latter being provided with projecting studs on and back faces, said studs being-spaced along either side thereof and the frame being constructed of metallic tubing comprising a Ushaped member terminating in tWo parallel forwardlyY extending ground-engaging members bent upwardlyat the front to formV front legs,Y then bent rearwardlyto include an intermediate yieldingly'related'pair of seat-bars and then bent upwardly to form a yieldingly related pairoiback-bars, both seat-bars and back-bars beingv provided with keyhole-shaped slots, the longitudinal axes of which extend transversely of the ,chair-seat, the slots of the seat-bars beingA oppositely disposed to the slots 4of the back-bars and said bars at said slots being'springwise en'- gaged with the studs ofthe seat and back-inembers for. Vsecuring the seat andback-inembers to and uponthe frame, the slots in the back-bars having their` tail portionsv presented in the opposite direction tothe tail portions of the slots'in the s eat-bars. y Y

3. An article of furniture or the like comprising a frame and rigid seat and back-members, the latterbeing provided with projecting studs on theirV respective under and back faces', said studs beingspaced along either side thereof and the vframe being constructedoi metallic tubing comprising a `U-shaped member-terminating in two parallelforwardly extending ground-engaging membersbent upwardly'at the front to form front legs, then bent rearwardly'to include an intermediate yieldingly related pair of seat-bars and then bent upwardly to form a-yieldingly related pair of back-bars, both seat-bars and backbars being provided with keyhole-shapedslots, the longitudmal axes oi which extend transverselyfoi the chair seat,the slots of the sea-tbar's being oppositelydisposed to the slots of theA back-bars and said bars at Said slots being spring;

wise engaged with the studs of the seat and backmembers for securing the seat and back-members to and upon the frame, the slots in the back-bars having their tail portions presented outwardly and the slots in the seat-bars having their tail portions presented inwardly.

4. A chair having a frame formed of a single piece or bent resilient metal tubing comprising a U-shaped member including two parallel forwardly extending ground-engaging members bent upwardly at the front to form front legs, then bent rearwardly to include an intermediate yieldingly related pair of parallel horizontal seat supporting bars and then bent upwardly to form a pair of upwardly extending back rest supporting bars, each of said seat supporting bars being provided with at least one keyhole-shaped slot having an enlarged circular portion and a reduced-width tail portion extending around said seat supporting bar in the circumferential direction, the tail portions of the keyhole slots in the respective seat supporting bars extending outwardly with respect to each other, said back rest supporting .bars each being provided with at least one keyhole slot having an enlarged circular portion and a reduced-Width tail portion extending around said back supporting bar in the circumthe reduced-width portions of the keyhole slots v of said seat supporting bars, and a back rest being provided in its rearwardly presented face along each side thereof with a plurality of projecting headed studs for engagement in the reducedwidth portions of the keyhole slots in said back rest supporting bars.

JOHN J. NASH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,281,902 Witz May 5, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 600208 Germany July 17, 1934 

